NetDay
and BellSouth Host Online Survey for Teachers to
"Speak Up" About Technology
Thousands of Teachers Will Let their
Voices Be Heard on May 4, National Teacher Day |
ATLANTA, May 4, 2004 – Last
October, America’s students had the opportunity to share their
opinions about technology in their classrooms. This month, the nation’s
teachers have their chance to let their voices be heard.
NetDay and BellSouth will offer the first-ever Speak Up
Day for Teachers, an online opportunity for teachers in
all grades and subjects to share their views about their personal
and professional use of technology and the Internet. NetDay is encouraging
schools to provide opportunities for their teachers to participate
as part of their recognition of National Teacher Day on May 4. The
survey, which opened for input on April 14 will stay open through
May 7.
Teachers across the country, from rural, urban and suburban communities,
will participate. More than 38,000 teachers have already registered
for Speak Up Day and already, 6,281 have gone online to voice their
ideas through the Speak Up Day survey.
“Following Speak Up Day for Students, teachers said that they
wanted to have a greater voice and opportunities to participate
online in the national conversation about education technology,”
said Julie Evans, CEO, NetDay. “We listened to these teachers
and Speak Up Day for Teachers is our response to
that challenge. Their valuable input, coupled with the responses
we received from students, will be instrumental in shaping education
technology policy.”
Education associations and organizations nationwide have collaborated
with NetDay on this important initiative. NetDay’s social
sector partners have helped in the development of the survey questions
and in the promotion of Speak Up Day and outreach
to their affiliates, members and client schools.
The two leading teachers organizations, NEA and AFT, are partners
with NetDay in Speak Up Day for Teachers. As Reg Weaver, President,
NEA explains, “Technology has the potential to unleash a revolution
in education, if we give teachers an effective voice in the best
ways to incorporate computers and other learning tools in the classroom.
NEA is pleased to support NetDay’s "Speak Up for Teachers"
and other efforts to give students the skills they need to be effective
tomorrow.”
BellSouth and NetDay have three goals for Speak Up Day for
Teachers:
- To collect national data about how teachers feel about using
the Internet and technology in their professional and personal
life.
- To raise awareness about the importance of teacher voice as
a stakeholder in technology decisions.
- To shape conversations at the local school level about the role
of technology in learning with input from students through the
first Speak Up Day and from teachers.
“Teachers are the frontline professionals in
education and their point of view is essential in shaping the conversation
around use of technology in classrooms,” said Kim Mulkey,
technology director, BellSouth Foundation. “We are pleased
to build on our support for technology in education by sponsoring
this important initiative that will capture the voices and input
of thousands of teachers across the country.”
Speak Up Day for Teachers builds upon the success
of Speak Up Day for Students 2003, where more than
210,000 students went online and shared their views on technology
use. NetDay’s National Report on Speak up Day for Students
2003, Voices and View from
Today’s Tech-Savvy Student, is available on www.netday.org.
The results of Speak Up Day for Teachers will be
released at the National Education Computing Conference in New Orleans
in June. The report will also be shared with the U.S. Department
of Education, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Congress and
national education groups to continue to influence policy discussions
on technology and education. Schools will have free access to their
teachers’ aggregated data in June so that it can be used for
planning, professional development and technology purchases in the
2004-2005 school year.
Schools and teachers interested in participating in Speak Up Day
for Teachers should visit www.NetDay.org
for more information.
BellSouth Supports Teachers
BellSouth has an ongoing commitment to supporting teachers. In 2003,
the company launched the BellSouth Quality in the Classroom Teaching
Initiative -- a $10 million, five-year initiative designed to assist
teachers across the company’s region with professional development
and retention - top issues facing teachers nationwide. In each state,
BellSouth is partnering with local education institutions and non-profits
to design and implement programs customized to local communities.
About NetDay
NetDay's mission is to connect every child to a brighter future
by helping educators meet educational goals through the effective
use of technology. NetDay (www.NetDay.org), the national 501.c.3
non-profit organization known for its successful school wiring programs,
today manages community and web-based programs that promote enhanced
student achievement through the effective use of technology. Speak
Up Day is NetDay’s latest initiative and focuses awareness
on the importance of student and teacher voices in the national
dialogue on education and technology.
About BellSouth Corporation
BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered
in Atlanta, Georgia and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, the
nation’s second largest wireless voice and data provider.
Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most
comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services
available in the market. Through BellSouth AnswersSM, residential
and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance
service with dial up and high speed DSL Internet access, satellite
television and Cingular® Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth
provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data
networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory
advertising through BellSouth® RealPages.comsm and The Real
Yellow Pages®.
More information about BellSouth can be found at www.bellsouth.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
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